Sahar Khalifeh
Encyclopedia
Sahar Khalifeh is a Palestinian
writer born in 1942 in Nablus
of the West Bank
. After studying at the University of Birzeit
, in the Palestinian occupied territories, she received a Fulbright scholarship and went to continue her studies in the US. She got an MA in English Literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a PhD in Women's Studies from the University of Iowa
before returning to Palestine in 1988. She is the founder of the Women's Affairs Center in Nablus, which now has branches in Gaza and Amman, Jordan. She is considered one of the most prominent Palestinian writers. Her works include several novels and essays, translated into several languages, including Hebrew, as well as non-fiction writing. She won the 2006 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
for her novel The Image, the Icon, and the Covenant.
One of her best-known works is Wild Thorns. An excerpt reads as follows:
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
writer born in 1942 in Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
of the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. After studying at the University of Birzeit
Birzeit University
Birzeit University is a university located in Birzeit near Ramallah, Palestinian territories. BZU is among the foremost tertiary educational institutes in the Palestinian territories and has played a significant role in the Palestinian political dialogue.- History :The institution was originally...
, in the Palestinian occupied territories, she received a Fulbright scholarship and went to continue her studies in the US. She got an MA in English Literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a PhD in Women's Studies from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
before returning to Palestine in 1988. She is the founder of the Women's Affairs Center in Nablus, which now has branches in Gaza and Amman, Jordan. She is considered one of the most prominent Palestinian writers. Her works include several novels and essays, translated into several languages, including Hebrew, as well as non-fiction writing. She won the 2006 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature
The Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature is a literary award for Arabic literature. It is given to the best contemporary novel written in Arabic, but not available in English translation. The winning book is then translated into English, and published by American University in Cairo Press...
for her novel The Image, the Icon, and the Covenant.
One of her best-known works is Wild Thorns. An excerpt reads as follows:
- 'Halt!' The order came from a soldier sitting in front of the wooden walkway. Usama stopped, his heart pounding. 'Open your suitcase!' The Israeli stretched out his hand and rifled the contents. 'What's this?' 'Librium.' 'Yeah, you people are crazy about that stuff.'
Sources
- Bio-bibliography (in French) on the site Samed devoted to palestinian literature
- Arab World Books
- al-Mallah, Ahmad. "Sahar Khalifa." Twentieth-Century Arabic Writers. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 346. Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center. Gale. 17 Mar. 2009 Gale Literature Resource Center
- Who Is Hidden beneath the Burqa? An Appeal to the West by Sahar Khalifa